Success in future wouldn't be shock

Tallon, Savard like what they see in top prospects

July 08, 2007|BY CHRIS KUC

After a week of watching their top prospects showcase their skills, Blackhawks general manager Dale Tallon and head coach Denis Savard didn't try to hide their excitement for the future of the franchise.

"There are a lot of good young kids," Savard said as the team's weeklong prospects camp that ended Friday at The Edge in Bensenville. "Our future is so bright and it showed all week."

After watching 2007 No. 1 overall draft selection Patrick Kane and the team's '06 top selection Jonathan Toews (No. 3 overall) click while playing on the same line during four scrimmages, and strong play from other prospects, Tallon was pleased to see the fruit of his labor develop.

"We're getting quite deep at all positions," Tallon said. "The challenges and fights for jobs is what makes a team successful. When people know there are other people in line for their jobs, they start to compete hard.

"We're very, very excited about the future, and the foundation is being put together very solidly."

Though they were merely scrimmages during a July prospects camp, Kane and Toews showed they may be ready to take their acts to the NHL. Each scored two goals and added four assists while creating scoring chances -- both with their passing and shooting skills -- nearly every shift.

"Toews and Kane obviously were terrific together and it was great to see, exciting," Tallon said. "Kane keeps you on the edge of your seat. Jonathan and him together seem to be a match made in heaven."

Sage advice

Toews, in his second Hawks prospects camp, knows the kind of pressure Kane is under as a top draft selection.

"He's the talk of the camp," Toews said. "Everyone wants to see what he's capable of doing and I think he showed it.

"Obviously there's a lot of pressure for a kid like that, but all he has to do is go out there and play his game and nobody's going to be too worried about it."

Getting his feet wet

The 18-year-old Kane, who had 62 goals and 83 assists in 58 games for London of the Ontario Hockey League last season, got his first taste of the NHL.

"It was a great experience to get the feel for the organization," said Kane, who will spend the next two months building strength before Hawks training camp in September. "I'm going to work out five days a week and skate three or four times a week, just work on my skills and the things I need to improve."

Drawing notice

While Kane and Toews received much of the attention from the fans during the camp, 20-year-old Swedish defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson, a fourth-round draft pick in 2005, made an impression on Tallon and Savard.

"I was very impressed," Tallon said. "He's going to go back to Sweden. We'd like to keep him, but he has made a commitment to go back. He had a great week. He got better each day."

The 6-foot-3-inch, 194-pound native of Eksjoshowed poise on the ice.

"I still can't believe he went 108th overall in the draft," Savard said. "I saw lots of good things about him."

Tweaking

Tallon still is working the phones, searching for free agents or trades to bolster the Hawks. He's looking for players to complement the youth movement.

"We might have concerns as far as a veteran defenseman," Tallon said. "It depends on how these young guys continue to progress. We might need a steadying influence back there."